The Transitional Government of South Sudan has been urged to establish a conducive environment and minimize the risk of violence ahead of the forthcoming general elections.

According to the peace Roadmap, South Sudan is expected to hold a general election in December 2024.

However, the electoral commission is still faced by numerous challenges, such as time factor, lack of firm political will toward the elections in December 2024 and lack of adequate resources to run elections.

In a statement released on Tuesday, Special envoys of the European Union, France, Germany and the United Kingdom, said South Sudan’s leaders must come together to explicitly renounce the use of violence and agree on the peaceful conduct of elections.

They said South Sudan enters a critical phase in its transition towards peace and democracy hence peace partners must uphold the principles of the 2018 peace agreement.

The statement defined the context of their meetings with President Salva Kiir Mayardit, First Vice President Dr Riek Machar, Government interlocutors as well as the international community and civil society in South Sudan.

The Special Envoys reiterated the message of the United Nations Special Representative of the Security General of committing to hold credible, peaceful and inclusive elections in 2024.

The diplomats reiterated that the UN-AU-IGAD have outlined key political decisions and concrete actions that need to be taken before April in order to put in place conditions for credible elections.

“South Sudan’s leaders must act with urgency to achieve these pre-requisites in a consultative and inclusive manner,” the statement said.

The envoys urged the Transitional Government to take steps to establish and promote political and civic space that allows parties, civil society and individuals to freely express their views, engage in democratic discourse, and to campaign freely.

“Threats and hate speech cannot be tolerated. Citizens’ constitutional and legal rights must be fully respected,” the statement read in part.

Adding, “South Sudanese people deserve peace, human rights, democracy, and a government that is accountable to them and responsive to their needs. They are entitled to security ahead, during and after the elections. This requires ensuring that politically neutral security forces, especially police, are in place.”

The envoys further reminded the Transitional Government of its responsibility to ensure that the institutions necessary for elections are adequately resourced and funded, so that they can be fully operationalized, and that their independence must be respected.

The UNSRSG has pointed out that a critical mass of actions need to be taken by April for credible and inclusive elections still to be held by December.  “This is a narrow window of opportunity that must not be missed.”